The taste of different wines evoke different feelings and nuances in all of us. No two people will have the same reaction or the have the same definition for a given wine. There are some things that are taken for granted and which wine tasting experts will tell you is part of the wines makeup, but in truth it might take you some time before you can fully understand for yourself all the qualities of a bouquet of wine.
Some people might get wine tasting almost straight off the bat and will even be able to identify the wines subtler qualities but thats very rare and it generally will take you some time to get to expert level. Until then you can give it your all and learn as you go along.
Dont be daunted by what you might perceive as an uphill task. Wine tasting can be fun and easy to pick if you just give it a try. Its only the actual process of putting a name to what you taste that takes the time! So, first of all, the three main senses that you will use throughout your wine tasting efforts will be sight, smell and taste. If you remember them in that order you should be fine.
To begin with, first pour your wine into a suitable glass. You dont need to fill it up just about a third of the glass is fine. Your next step is the crucial first step in wine tasting.
Look and see what the color of your wine is. Hold it up to the light and take a good look at it. Its not just red, or just white. There are many shades of red, and there are many shades of white. And if you have ros wine, there are also many shades of rose.
The next thing that youll want to look into is the opacity of the wine. Is it clear or is it cloudy, transparent or opaque? Is there sediment swirling in the wine when give it a gentle swirl, or is there cork in there as well?
The younger red wines wont be as clear as the older red wines, but when you turn a certain corner of age, youll find that a mature red wine will revert back to its younger days and become more opaque!
Next youll want to use the second of your senses needed for wine tasting and take a quick whiff of the wine. Before you do this however, gently swirl the glass first, then pass it under your nose to get an initial impression of the wine.
Then, and this is why a suitable wine glass is recommended, you swirl gently a little bit more and stick your nose into the wine glass and breathe in deeply. This is where you get the full blast of the wine and where you can determine its quality. Take your nose out, swirl gently to mix the scents and sniff again. Youll get deeper impressions the second time around.
Now its finally time to use your last of senses, that of taste. Take a small sip of the wine and proceed to roll it around on your tongue. Next, take in a small breath of air and allow it to mingle with the wine. Again, swirl the wine around in your mouth and this time taste the different flavors of the wine.
Lastly, just let it sit on your tongue and taste the consistency of the wine. What are your impressions? Does it have a thick and smooth consistency like that of milk, or was it more along the lines of very light like a water sliding down your throat? And before you finish it all, after swallowing it did the flavor of the wine last in your mouth? And for how long did it last. This is sometimes referred to as the wines finish, the length of time that the taste of it lingers in the mouth.
Muna wa Wanjiru
Original source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wines-and-spirits-articles/wine-tasting-can-be-fun-and-easy-to-pick-if-you-just-give-it-a-try-302802.html
